


Parenting 101

by kisahawklin



Series: Supernatural Season 13 Tagathon [8]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode: s13e10 Wayward Sisters, Family, Gen, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 03:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13425684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/pseuds/kisahawklin
Summary: Sam and Jody talk about being parents.





	Parenting 101

**Author's Note:**

> I have lots of feels about this episode, and I imagine should the show get picked up, I'll be writing the shit out of Kaia/Claire, but for now, I just wanted a little Sam and Jody because I love their relationship and I love the idea of them talking about parenthood together.

Sam and Dean take a day. After living for two and a half days in death-world, it seems like the thing to do. 

Jody's place is more than full – Sam's a little amused by the growing pack of women hanging out there – so they get a motel on the edge of town. Dean goes to the bar for the night and Sam goes out to Bobby's place. He never goes with Dean – Dean's not one for remembrances like this – but it's comforting. Almost like he can feel Bobby soaked into the land. Bobby feels close. 

He's a little surprised to see Jody's truck in the driveway, too. It's late. Later than he'd expect, but it's likely – or he hopes, anyway – that the girls are all in bed and sleeping.

She's hanging out back by the shop area, sitting on an old pile of tires. "Hey," Sam says, and she looks up guiltily for a moment before she recognizes him. 

"Hey." 

He comes over, kicks at the pile of tires. "Room for me?"

Jody smiles. It's sincere, and she lifts a hand up to take his, then yanks him down onto the tires. He just catches himself before sprawling face-down. "Thanks."

Jody sighs, and waits for him to rearrange himself semi-comfortably before leaning against him. "I miss Bobby," Sam says, because he has a feeling Jody could use someone to talk to, but he doesn't know about what, and he's too polite to ask directly.

"Me too," Jody says. "There's so much I don't know."

Sam shrugs, bobbling Jody's head a little. "True of all of us, I suppose. Why we're better together."

"Yeah," Jody agrees, but she looks down at her hands, picking dirt out from under her nails.

"You okay?" he asks. It's vague enough, if she's really feeling like talking about it.

She turns her face into his sleeve so her voice is a little muffled when she says, "Not really."

He doesn't know what it's about, but he has to guess Kaia. They didn't want to leave her like that, but they weren't going to let Claire get eaten by that monster or killed by annoying ninja-person either. "I'm sorry about Kaia."

"Yeah." Jody blows out a breath. "Me too. But I think probably not as sorry as Claire."

Sam had gotten that. Maybe there was a time warp between the universes. It's not that he doesn't get weirdly invested in people, but it'd only been a couple days for him and Dean. That's not long to be upset the way Claire's upset. 

"It sucks to see your kids hurting," she says. "And wanting to protect them but letting them going out and do what's important to them… It sucks being a parent."

Sam huffs out a laugh. "Weirdly, I know what you mean."

"Oh yeah?" Jody asks. "Sounds like there's a story to be had there."

Sam hums an acceptance of that. "Jack? Kelly Kline's kid?"

" _Lucifer's_ kid?" she asks, a note of concern in her voice.

"Yeah," Sam confirms. "He's fully grown. He went straight from baby to young man – because his mom told him he needed to grow up fast."

"Uh," Jody says. "Your lives are really weird, you know that?"

"Yeah," Sam says, finally lifting his arm and wrapping it around Jody. She rests her head against his chest and it feels peaceful. Much more peaceful than anything else in his life in the last month. "He's been living with us. And I've been… well. I guess as close to a parent as you can get."

Jody punches him and he realizes he's just accidentally belittled her relationship with Claire and Alex. "No, sorry… obviously your relationship with Claire and Alex is parental. With me and Jack – I mean. I've never been a parent. I probably never will be. But I feel protective of Jack in a way I've never felt with anyone else, even Dean."

"Welcome to the club, kiddo."

Sam laughs. He supposes it's true. "Awesome. Now if I just knew where the hell he was or how to get to him. At least you know where Claire and Alex are. And Patience?" He doesn't want to ask – he knows that things were rough with her dad, if Dean's read on the situation is to be trusted. Considering she's at Jody's he thinks Dean was probably right.

"Yeah, Patience too, I'm sure. And I guess part of me – and Claire – was hoping Kaia too."

Sam's suddenly extremely jealous. He wonders if they'd take him and Jack in, too. He's always wanted more than a network, he's wanted a family, a big one, where there's enough people to take the pressure off him and Dean for a while. "And Donna?"

Jody punches him again. "Donna's like the cool aunt. Rolling up in her truck with all her weapons and her stupid grin."

He loves Donna's smile, and he knows Jody does too. It makes him happy even to think of it. "Yeah, I'm sure. Dean's nobody's favorite uncle, though."

Jody laughs. "He could be. If you two could just catch a break for a minute."

"Yeah," Sam says, digging down into the tires to get more comfortable. "If only."

They stay for another half an hour, quiet and thoughtful and just enjoying the presence of someone who understands.


End file.
